Steve Miller Band Tickets

Steve Miller Band
Steve Miller is an American blues and rock and roll guitarist and performer.

Biography
Miller was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 5, 1943. His mother, Bertha was an accomplished singer and his father, Dr. George "Sonny" Miller was a pathologist, jazz enthusiast and amateur recording engineer and his mother was a Bertha, a jazz-influenced singer. Many members of Steve's family were musicians, and he received his first guitar at age 4. Steve put it to good use performing songs for his family and playmates.The family moved to Dallas, Texas in 1950.

The legendary Les Paul, pioneer of the electric guitar and also Miller's godfather taught Miller his first guitar chords. Miller was successful in forming his first band, The Marksmen, while he was at St. Mark's School of Texas. Miller's classmate Royce Scaggs joined the band after learning guitar chords from Miller. During the 1960s, Miller attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he formed The Ardells. The next year, Scaggs joined the Ardells. The following year, Ben Sidran was added as a keyboardist to the Ardells.

Prior to forming the Steve Miller Band, Miller was in a band with Barry Goldberg called the Goldberg-Miller Blues Band. They formed in 1965, and released one single, before Miller left the band.

The Steve Miller Band was formed by Miller in 1968. Capitol Records signed the band after Monterey. The most lucrative contract in music history was demanded by Steve. Boz Scaggs also received an invitation from Steve to join the band.Jim Peterman replaced "Curley" Cooke, and "Blues" was dropped from the band's name.

The Steve Miller Band flew to England to record their first album with Glyn Johns as engineer. Children of the Future was released in May 1968 and was a staple of progressive FM stations throughout the country. This album is believed to be one of the greatest debut albums ever. The album was the first in a series of discs rooted solidly in the psychedelic blues style that dominated the San Francisco music scene at the time. The next albums were Sailor, Brave New World, Your Saving Grace and Number 5.

Number 5, released July 1970, was the greatest success to date.

My Dark Hour was recorded by Miller and Paul McCartney in which Paul had appeared under the alias Paul Ramon. This song features Steve on lead and rhythm guitar, and McCartney on drums and bass. The Space Cowboy has been introduced to us by this top 40 album.

Released in November 1969, Your Saving Grace, also made it in the top 40. This album, as well as the previous one, included some session work by keyboardist Nicky Hopkins whose talent is displayed marvelously on the track Baby's House.

This first period in Steve Miller's music formed part of double album compilation "Anthology" which includes a guest appearance on drums by the then Beatle Paul McCartney on the song "My Dark Hour".

The start of the second phase of Miller's career was marked by 1973's The Joker. It was more pop-oriented and simplistic. The album was successful in featuring a number one hit in the U.S. in the title track as well as several other popular tunes. In fact, "The Joker" hit Number One on the UK singles chart in September 1990 after it was used on a television commercial.

At the peak of his popularity, Miller took a long hiatus from recording and touring. He emerged in 1981 with Circle of Love. It was an ambitious album possibly intended to appease critics of his new style. Sales were disappointing. However, he returned to the pop formula in 1982 with another hit album, Abracadabra. This was Miller's last great commercial success. After 1993, Miller stopped producing records altogether. However, he collaborated with Paul McCartney on the former Beatle's 1997 Grammy-nominated album, Flaming Pie.